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The garden of my mind

I have a few somewhat unrelated things to show you. Not that my mind jumps around, you understand, but, well, my mind goes in many directions - sometimes all at once it seems. The garden of my mind is a jungle.

First, here is a dragonfly that someone Sara found dead while we were in Sanibel. I really wanted to bring him home to add to my collection of wonderful things but I didn't have anything in which to safely carry him so I took a photograph. I was particularly interested in his wings, as you can guess. They are the very definition of delicate.

Vicki and I have decided to participate in the challenges (and they really are) of Danny Gregory's EveryDay Drawings. Yesterday the assignment /challenge was to draw something metallic. Vicki chose a very difficult object - a fork. I know it seems simple, but try drawing one. I went much easier with my earring and then my bracelet. I drew in ink, which is another challenge for me.

I had a little trouble holding the book open and aiming my phone so on the bracelet you can see that I resorted to using my foot. I have discovered that I should begin larger if I want to include any detain at all. Now, if a problem identified can be a problem on the way to being solved I am in good shape. These were done on half pages of a 5" x8" Moleskine. The objects should have taken up most of the space with the writing crowded into the corners, etc. Next time. Today's assignment is to draw an eye. Vicki has done hers. I have looked at pictures of eyes.

If you are willing to look carefully at things and draw just what you see and not what you know is there, drawing becomes absorbing and creative. Our lives are full of things to draw. There is always your foot, your hand, your shoe, your desktop (computer or physical) your medicine cabinet, your pots and pans, on and on. You can follow Danny Gregory's prompts like we are doing. Take a piece of paper out of the printer, sharpen a pencil and get going.

Sermon over.

Meanwhile, this pour is becoming a real painting, believe it or not. Doing the pour is the hardest part for me and it sets the base for whatever you are going to do later. I am already thinking of the next one, the colors I will use and the way I will spread them. I love painting and drawing; it makes me work hard mentally and sometimes physically. Maybe for the next one I can remember the camera often enough to take you through the whole thing, but sometimes when I begin working the camera doesn't even occur to me.

Below is the painting as it is now. A large bundle of mixed flowers. They won't be realistic, but you will know they are flowers. I admire photorealism and wonder how the artist had the patience but I use a camera for that. My patience stretches only so far.

Transforming it has meant painting gesso (think Whiteout) over some places and defining some others. It still isn't finished. And here it is upside down, no less. More work required but it might turn out to be okay.

Below is the infamous airplane picture. I hated it. While I was working on it I let other people's suggestions, good but not what I meant to do, get me off track. All my fault. It was just a mess. A cheerful mess, but a mess. But I decided to make it what I meant it to be from the beginning.

This has become something entirely different after several intermediate steps. I finally got a piece of sandpaper, applied it thoroughly to the painting, gessoed the whole piece and began again. The little figures along the sides ( leaves and a letter type shape) are paper that is glued on so those are still in the new painting.

There is still work to be done on this also but I think I like where it is going. I will keep you posted Lucky you!!

Thanks for letting me share. My audience is a select group although you can share the blog with friends or family if you wish. I will never post anything that should be private and that is a promise.

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Long ago, I was taught to draw by observing with a capital O. We were told to draw the shoe we were wearing without looking at it even once. Some students couldn't even remember what they were wearing! We then had to remove our shoe and draw it properly. The differing results were amazing. We proved to ourselves that we should look harder at everything. Mind you, shoes aren't of great interest to everyone. I love drawing from life so I appreciate your ink drawings. It's so good that you create something almost every day with such enthusiasm.

I love how you transformed your airplane painting. It is very compelling and I enjoy just staring at it. Anxious to see what you do to it next. You're "flower" pour is coming along very nicely also. it all makes me feel as if I should be busy with my paints but alas, I am not. I noticed that you have the number of subscribers listed. How did you do that or do you even know!! So much to learn about blogger. I drew the fork because it was right beside me (as usual...unfortunately) but I really didn't think the perspective would be so difficult. My first attempt was even worse. I love a good eraser!

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